[Nfbf-l] Proclamation: Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2013

[Alan Dicey]

Friday, July 26, 2013
 Proclamation: Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2013
Dear Friends,
President Obama issued the following Presidential Proclamation in 
commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities 
Act.  The Obama administration is committed to advancing the goals of the 
ADA so that it is not just the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law, 
that's being applied all across this country.
Check out the proclamation below, or simply click the following link: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/07/25/proclamation-anniversary-americans-disabilities-act-2013
Also check out Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett ADA anniversary blog post at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/26/celebrating-23-years-americans-disabilities-act.
Best,
Claudia Gordon
Associate Director
White House Office of Public Engagement
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
More than two centuries ago, our forebears began an unending journey to form 
a more perfect Union. Twenty-three years ago, we took a historic step down 
that path with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- a landmark law 
that seeks to extend the promise of equal opportunity enshrined in our 
founding documents.
It promises equal access, from the classroom to the workplace to the 
transportation required to get there. It promises fairness, and the chance 
to live a full and independent life. It affords Americans with disabilities 
the protections they need to claim a future worthy of their talents.
Today, we celebrate the ADA's lasting legacy as a pillar of civil rights. We 
also recognize that while the law continues to move America forward, our 
march to equality is not yet complete. Even now, barriers still keep too 
many people with disabilities from fully participating in our society and 
our workforce. Our country suffers when our citizens are denied the chance 
to strengthen our economy, support their families, and fully participate in 
our American life.
That is why my Administration is dedicated to leveling the playing field for 
Americans with disabilities. We are committed to making the Federal 
Government a model employer by recruiting, hiring, and retaining more 
workers with disabilities than at any time in our Nation's history. In 
addition, we are working to connect people with disabilities to jobs in 
every part of our economy.
To get those jobs, students with disabilities need an education system that 
works for them. We must ensure lessons are inclusive, assessments are fair, 
and technology is accessible. We must rededicate ourselves to building 
supportive classrooms and putting an end to bullying that all too often 
targets young people with disabilities.
My Administration is bringing the same commitment to our health care system. 
The Affordable Care Act already made it illegal for insurers to deny 
coverage to children with disabilities because of pre-existing conditions, 
medical history, or genetic information. On January 1, 2014, the same will 
be true for all Americans. Alongside those protections, we have strengthened 
Medicare and Medicaid and ramped up programs to encourage community living 
and supportive services.
Together, we have come a long way toward ensuring equal opportunity for all. 
On this anniversary, let us recommit to going the rest of the distance. Let 
us enforce the ADA, promote disability rights at home and abroad, and make 
America a place that values the contributions of all our citizens --  
regardless of disability.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, 
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of 
the United States, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2013, the Anniversary of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act. I encourage Americans across our Nation to 
celebrate the 23rd anniversary of this civil rights law and the many 
contributions of individuals with disabilities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of 
July, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence 
of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
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